Hand Applique with Apple Blossom Quilts

The speaker at the Tall Pine Quilters Guild this past Thursday was Connie Sue Haidle of Apple Blossom Quilts.

What a delightful lady and a wonderful speaker and teacher. She has been appliqueing for 50 years. We were able to see so many of her hand appliqued quilts. I was helping to hold her quilts, so didn't get photos. But you can go to her patterns page to see them and order patterns. You can read about her HERE.

She and her husband travel with their 5th wheel and she lectures and conducts workshops along the way. Her husband is her assistant. He takes photos, too, that she includes in her newsletters. Daisy travels with them and is such a good girl. She listens to some of the presentation from her blanket.

I think she has heard some of it before and decided to take a nap. 

If your guild or group is interested in having her, we can only say she is WONDERFUL. We learned so much in practical skills as well as hand applique. She has her own technique called "Quick Prep Applique" that really makes applique quick. Contact her to see when she might be coming through your area. She might even have some openings in 2017.

Definitely sign up for her newsletter. I have been following her for years and have downloaded the BOM (Block of the Month) patterns as they were released. I have not made any yet. I thought I could use raw edge stitching to make them. BUT...we had a workshop with her on Friday and her technique makes appliqueing by hand much less tedious and quicker than freezer paper, plastic templates, starch, and all those things that I might make us a block or two. Most of us were beginners, but we got the hang of it quite quickly and were very pleased to have had the workshop.

Oh, if like applique or you have the slightest inkling to try it, she showed us the beginnings of her 2017 BOM. It is a Christmas quilt and the little bit she had appliqued on one block made us all ooooh and aaaah. It sparkles and shimmers and has some bling with common supplies from any fabric store. She said her newsletter this month will let us know a bit more about it. And the block for each month is FREE! But you have to download it before you get the next month's newsletter, because after that you have to buy the pattern. 
Sign up for her newsletter HERE.

Look at the Quilting Tips on her website, they are great tips and free to view. She has a few videos too.